


falling for you

by hermitcrabcoral



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:41:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22081987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermitcrabcoral/pseuds/hermitcrabcoral
Summary: Somewhere amid the building of peace, reconciling with old rivals, and finally settling into a normal cycle of training, relaxing, and living, Bede realizes he likes Gloria.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 20
Kudos: 106





	falling for you

**Author's Note:**

> title and the fic is loosely inspired by "Falling for U" by peachy! ft. mxmtoon

Somewhere amid the building of peace, reconciling with old rivals, and finally settling into a normal cycle of training, relaxing, and  _ living, _ Bede realizes he likes Gloria.

Well, he certainly  _ hopes  _ he does, at least. He'd like to think the two of them were finally past old grudges (mostly his, anyways) and that the two of them could refer to each other as  _ friend,  _ as opposed to  _ my infuriating rival.  _

To Bede's credit, it's a revelation he makes only after countless stubborn camping invites from Gloria. He ignored them at first, unsurprisingly, but soon after his only source of security dropped, he found himself stopping by more and more often.

(And maybe not just for free food, but no one needed to know that.)

There's nothing really wrong with being around Gloria, only that she makes him feel so  _ hopeful _ about his— _ their _ —future, that maybe he could grow up right by her side, with her smile that disarms him as easily as as Zacian's sword, and a resolve as tough as Zamazenta's shield—

Bede knows that he's on better terms with most of his rivals now, but if Opal's knowing glance and Hatterene's smug expression was anything to go by, then there was  _ definitely  _ something different between him and Gloria.

  
  
  


_. . . _

  
  
  


But that's all unreasonable, Bede decides. If it's one thing Bede's learned from his time working under Chairman Rose, it was knowing your place. Gloria was best friends with Hop, and Bede knew he had no right in taking that place. Marnie was like a little sister to him, and that would always stay the same, and Bede would have it no other way. And Gloria…it was a miracle the two of them were even  _ friends  _ begin with, thank you very much.

But Bede isn't self absorbed enough to lie to himself anymore. He knows he's lucky that everyone he ever knew before even  _ talked _ to him now. After all, wasn't it was all  _ his _ devotion to collect wishing pieces that ruined all of  _ their  _ lives? 

(Voices — maybe Hop's, maybe Rose's, maybe even his own — whisper,  _ you don't even deserve what you have now with her. _

_ You're just going to ruin whatever you have with her now. _

_ You're just going to ruin everything. _

_ You always ruin everything…  _

Bede wakes up in a startle.)

  
  
  


_. . . _

  
  
  


At least Gloria, on her part, is a little more competent (and honest) with her feelings.

She falls for him in bits and pieces of admiration here and there. It takes her some time at first to get over his harsh words targeted at Hop, but her compassion might be the one thing that exceeds her skills in battle, and Bede finds himself a regular visitor in her campsite.

He is sullen, the first few times he visits. In fact, Bede refuses to even eat with her, opting only to cook silently next to her and feeding his pokemon.

"No need to chat, fairy boy," Gloria only says and casually spoons a taste of curry to his own pokémon, ignoring how the boy fumes silently next to her when they react in delight.

_ For all his pride, he gets just as jealous as the rest of us,  _ Gloria notes, and laughs to herself.

He opens up once he is officially crowned Ballonlea's new gym leader under Opal's training.

And by opening up, as Gloria finds out, Bede means giving her a compliment in his typical, blunt to a fault sense.

"You're too  _ nice,"  _ he mutters, shoving his hands into his pockets, red spreading throughout his face.

_ You make this too easy for me,  _ Gloria thinks, and easily returns, "Don't you worry your little  _ Wooloo  _ head, Bede," and watches in delight as he turns, about to jab back in reply-

"It's only for you," she says with a wink, turning back to making curry, leaving Bede praying that she couldn't see him smoulder next to her. 

(She could, and  _ boy _ was it cute.) 

  
  
  


. . .

  
  
  


_ There are worse people to fall for, _ Bede finds himself reasoning in a scarce attempt at self-comfort.

And he's right, of course, but just because others deemed Gloria good enough — even perfect — for him, it doesn't he was good enough — or deserved — to be with her.

( _ A gym leader and the champion,  _ he muses. Not a bad match on paper, but in practice…)

  
  
  


. . .

  
  
  


As much as Bede likes to think he's good at not showing his true colors all the time —an unfortunate side effect of working with Chairman Rose—for all the lack of credit he gives to Hop, the jolly researcher is good at reading him. 

"Must your solution to comforting me in times of need always have to include giving me Alcremie puffs?" Bede looks slightly miffed—whether at being dragged out by Hop to be social for once, or because of the fact Hop  _ knows _ something is up with Bede—but Hop isn't discouraged.

"So you acknowledge you're stuck."

"On?" Bede raises an eyebrow, and stuffs a bite of his pastry into his mouth

"Oh, you know.  _ Her _ . 

"I do  _ not  _ like Gloria—oh,  _ no _ ." Bede swears under his breath when he realizes his mistake. "Fine, fine, you caught me. It shouldn't matter to you or me. You can— _ should _ have her." Satisfied, Bede  _ humphs _ and leans back into his chair.

"Whoa, wait." Hop sits up straight in his chair. "Bede, it's not like—we're just friends. I brought you in for Alcremie pastries  _ on me  _ to help you, not ask  _ you _ for help. I just—well, it wouldn't be good of me to watch two of my friends pin hopelessly on each other and not do anything, right?" 

"I'm  _ not  _ going to tell her, Hop. I won't— _ can't  _ tell her." The legs of the table graze the floor as Bede leans back in frustration.

"Why not? Don't be stupid—she  _ likes  _ you, Bede!"

"And I have feelings for her too, but—but if I really  _ loved  _ her, then I  _ know  _ she deserves…better. Better than me anyways." 

His confidence faded, Bede sulks as he eats away the rest of his dessert, but Hop forces him to hold his gaze.

"But…Bede, why would you say such a thing? Don't you believe me?" 

The gym leader scoffs, with less bite in it, and grimaces. "You're one to talk. After all the things  _ I  _ did to you…" 

Hop gives a resigned sigh, and stretches his arms. "Listen, we can get sappy about the past later. But don't you think it's cruel to willingly reject her just because you don't think you're good enough?"

"Hop, my whole career at one point was built on a mistake—"

"Bede, why else do you think Glo reaches out for you? Always cooks with you? She  _ cares _ ! She cares and you won't even give her a chance, when that's all she's been doing for you?"

The words seem to stab Bede, and his expression falls. "I…" 

There is nothing left for him to say. It's the truth, after all. 

Golden eyes pierce his for a moment, before they fall away. "Just…treat her right, okay?"

  
  
  


. . .

  
  
  


For a change, Bede waves Gloria to his campsite tonight.

It's the first time in awhile that Gloria's ever seen Bede look so meek, so small, even helpless—and it doesn't suit him, she thinks.

But it's also the first time in awhile that he looks oddly at peace, content with himself, as he hands her the brightly colored love ball, and grunts, "Open it."

Gloria complies, and a Sylveon pops out, ribbons dancing and eyes blinking up at hers while the girl can only stutter out, "Does—does this mean—"

" _ Yes,  _ Gloria, take it or not, don't make this any more embarrassing than it has to be—" Bede doesn't know if he feels like he's on the top of the world or wants to be crushed by the weight of it, but then he feels her breath against his, her face leaning in just enough to see the  _ pink  _ on his cheeks, and his voice freezes.

"Of  _ course,  _ Bede," and Gloria lets him fill in the rest of the space between them. 

When they part, Bede looks away, but his eyes shine slightly with joy, maybe even triumph. 

It suits him much more, Gloria figures. 

**Author's Note:**

> bede really needs another therapist besides hop, huh
> 
> what is the point of writing fics if not to reference your own? well that's basically what happened here haha


End file.
